Despite being transferred the technology of exploitation and preservation, Vietnam has not got ready for the competition against countries in the region when exporting whole ocean tuna to the Japanese market.
According to Director of Bình Định provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Trần Văn Phúc, exports of whole tuna is a part of the project of experimental exploitation, purchasing, and processing of tuna in accordance with a value chain developed by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and the cooperation plan between Bình Định People’s Committee and the Vietnam – Japan Friendship Association in Sakai (Japan).
The project has been implemented upon the target of developing the ocean tuna exploitation sector in Bình Định. Accordingly, the provincial People’s Committee and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have entered into a minutes of performing the project of transferring Japan’s technology and fishing tools to Bình Định so that the province can exploit, preserve and export ocean tuna to Japan.
According to experts, Bình Định has been trying to compete against countries in the region when exporting the whole ocean tuna to Japan as well as improving the quality of provincial ocean tuna so that Bình Định can get familiar with ocean tuna markets and look for partners.
After implementing the project of experimental exploitation, purchasing, and processing of ocean tuna in accordance with a value chain, the quality of Bình Định’s ocean tuna has been considerably improved upon the technique that was transferred by Japan.
Actually, since the quality of Bình Định’s ocean tuna was improved, this species has been accepted by Japanese consumers. According to experts, the quality has been clearly improved with the new applied technology of exploitation, preliminary treatment, and preservation
However, weakness revealed after some cargoes of whole ocean tuna entered Japan, resulting in the fact that Bình Định’s ocean tuna has not got ready for the competition against countries in the region related to ocean tuna exports to this market.
After arrival at the port, Bình Định’s ocean tuna is purchased by BIDIFISCO that will store the fish in one or two days before loading them to the flight to Hồ Chí Minh city. While waiting for the flight from Hồ Chí Minh to Japan, the company will store ocean tuna at Tân Sơn Nhất airport until 1AM the next day. The plane to Osaka airport (Japan) lands at 4 or 5AM when the auction of ocean tuna in Kansai ends. Bình Định’s ocean tuna will be stored at Osaka airport for another day until 1AM the next day and will be transported to Sankai for another auction.
With the above reasons, only 20% of Bình Định’s ocean tuna is classified as type 1 while the Philippines’ ocean tuna type 1 accounts for 60-70%.
